


Remember Me

by PolarGrizz47



Series: http://REBORN [1]
Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: AI AU, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 06:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4614978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarGrizz47/pseuds/PolarGrizz47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhys will never know. And Jack hopes it's for the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remember Me

**Author's Note:**

> Uhm... seriously unedited. Things will be explained in the end notes lmao.

Jack sat in his massive office, his hands tapping against the desk and legs crossed in his expensive yellow throne. His eyes were trained on the picture frame seated in his lap, some of the remaining evidence of the AI’s previous life.

He had to rip their digital footprint off their servers. Not even a trace could’ve been left.

Photos deleted, some of them saved and printed out for safekeeping. Texts wiped from their tablets and phones. Conversations that were recorded such as voice mails and meeting reviews had been scrambled and then deleted. Data from the old ECHO archives had to be wiped; things that he’d scanned and viewed were forever lost in their scourge.

Sometimes, Jack wishes that he would’ve kept more of it. Some of those old, meaningless texts that never failed to bring a small smile onto his features. Even if the text had been sent at two AM, during their time apart due to missions or meetings, and only consisted of ‘ _We’re out of icecream, Jack. >:\_’ or ‘ _You up?_ ’

He never realized he’d miss them that much until they were gone. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss the way the kid typed neatly and used dumb emojis.

Letting out a low sigh through his nose, he traced his thumb over the picture fondly. It was one of his favorites of Rhys before the incident.

Rhys and Vaughn were dressed up in their Hyperion issued uniforms, each one of them prim and proper and smiling. The yellow and white dress shirts making their eyes stand out as they laughed into the camera. Rhys had one, mechanic arm slung over Vaughn’s shoulders, pulling the short man closer while holding their new ID cards in the other.

Jack had just happened to snap the picture as they were both laughing themselves silly over some well-timed inside joke.

Rhys had a pleasant flush over his cheeks, the color evoked after laughing so hard. His eyes were squeezed shut and fingers clenched tight. His smile was wide and toothy, curving up at the edges and so pure that it still pulled at his heart.

Vaughn mirrored the image, his glasses askew and mouth half opened with an escaping chuckle that was forever lost to them. Jack hated to admit it, but he kinda _missed_ the oddly buff financer.

Jack missed their dumb bro-fists, which got even more elaborate as time drew on. First it was a simple fist bump, then it was jazz fingers added at the end, and then finally some slithering arm movement mixed in.

Vaughn had been Rhys’ best friend; somebody Rhys could easily spill his guts to most of the time. Jack had gotten to know him quite well actually, merely because Rhys had made it happen. Awkward dinners evolved into pot-lucks and movie nights spent watching them fanboy over their (boring) documentaries.

It pained him to know that it’d never happen again.

He turned the photo over in his hands, itching to open up the back of the wooden encasing and look over some of the others he had stuffed into the frame as well. He couldn’t keep this frame out in the open. No, it had its own little place; a drawer in his desk that was dedicated towards the remnants of Rhys’ old life. Jack kept it under lock and key, and he knew that if worse came to worse and he had to leave Helios, he’d risk his own life grabbing this drawer.

Swallowing, he reached down and yanked open the compartment before gently placing it inside the dark depths.

He had work to do.

-:-

“Sir?” A hauntingly familiar voice asked him a few hours later, and Jack lifted his gaze from his monitor to regard the blue figure that had appeared. He had the port built into his desk, a small screen from which the new version of Rhys could reside within. It was merely one of many scattered throughout Helios, not to mention Jack's personal chip that could be inserted into most devices so the AI could aid him on the go.

He didn’t stand that very tall, roughly eight inches but still detailed impeccably. Even though Rhys was coded to look blue, the designers had added so many shades that he actually looked _alive_. His mechanical arm had been programmed effortlessly, and his eyes glowed in a blue and gold combination whenever he was processing certain things.

The AI had been programmed with some of Rhys' old habits; how he walked, the nervous tic in his fingers and restless shifting, all made to make Rhys more likeable among the employees.

Jack swallowed and responded dryly, “Yes, Rhys?”

It still hurt to say his name so openly. He had almost thought about naming the AI differently, but it had just seemed so _wrong_.

Like he’d be dishonoring him.

The AI crossed his arms across his chest and flashed Jack a tiny smile. “System diagnostic check is complete. Everything checks out. Although there _was_ something about the lower system air ducts that came up strange – something about the pressure. I would send somebody down there to check it out more in depth.”

Jack boredly tapped at his keys. He could care less about some air pressure system, but he couldn’t afford the entire lower floor exploding on him right now. Grumbling under his breath, he ordered, “Rhys, send somebody worthy that checks out to fix that, would you, cupcake?”

“Sure thing, sir.” Rhys quipped before lifting his arm up and opening his _‘echodevice’_ , the translucent blue screen so small that Jack couldn’t have hoped to read it, even with his glasses on.

The AI’s eye lit up to a golden hue before he dropped his hand to his side, signaling that the task had been completed. Then he just stared at Jack, expectantly, always ready to work and do his job.

Just like the old Rhys had been.

Narrowing his eyes, Jack snapped, “Idle yourself, kiddo. Your staring is freaking me out.”

Rhys had the decency to look shocked, if only for a moment. With a nod, the AI seemed to settle down and sit on the thin air, but Jack knew better, the programming had made it easier to make Rhys look more relatable – more animated. Even though the naked eye couldn’t see the coded furniture, the AI could.

They sat in total silence, Rhys’ head tipped into his chest and eyes closed while he remained idle, saving energy and processing until he was called upon. It was the closest he could ever get to sleeping.

Jack abused his keyboard with a heavy heart, wondering if he had made the right decision to re-create Rhys for Hyperion’s newest program.

**Author's Note:**

> WOW RIGHT? What's going on??  
> Alright, so this is actually an AU I made for my [Rhys RP Blog](http://rhysiepeasy.tumblr.com/verses). The Verse is called 'Reborn' buuutt nobody rps that with me so here we are. Also, fun fact, _It'll Cost You_ is also another verse I made there before indulging myself in a fic!
> 
> I was heavily inspired by Halo's Cortana! (I probs won't play the new Halo. ;-; But her 'death' killed me. I loved Cortana, her deteriorating end stabbed my heart into a mess)
> 
> Basically, Rhys and Jack were involved before Rhys was killed. Hyperion was working on AI, and needed a model. In mourning, Jack made it be modeled after Rhys. To keep the AI safe, they refused to give him the memories of his past life, and do their best to limit his access to his past life.  
> Although Jack is well aware of it.
> 
> Please tell me what you think! :3


End file.
